Nick's Changes Alternate Version
by M2S
Summary: This is the promised alternate version to Nick's Changes. WARNING: SLASH.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Spoilers: Pirates of the Third Reich, Grave Danger and Up in Smoke (eventually)

A/N: This is the alternate version of Nick's Changes promised last week. This first part is basically the same as the other version, with the ending focusing on Greg instead of Nick.

So, be forewarned, this is slashy, and not a Snickers fic.

Also be forewarned, this is my first, and maybe only, attempt at a slash fic. It might suck!

* * *

Nick Stokes was changing, before his own eyes. He hadn't actively set out to change. It just seemed to be happening. When he had flipped the quarter that fateful night, he had been one man. When he had come out of the hospital, he had been another. And now, looking in the mirror, he could feel that something was different. 

He was a little harder.

He was a little more serious at his work, but he felt a little more devil-may-care about his private life. Carpe diem, maybe. Seize the day – try a new hairstyle. Wear your shirt untucked every now and then. Listen to new rock rather than classic country. Let Greg recommend a stylist instead of a barber. Let Greg recommend anything other than coffee.

So was this new Nick into letting a certain someone pass him by, day by day without making a play?

Warrick had made a comment at a recent case.

"So, are you into delayed gratification?" Warrick had asked. He had been talking about a warrant. They could smell the decomp, but there was a "Corpse Flower" in the shed that explained the odor. Was a warrant less search justifiable?

"Hell no. That's Grissom," Nick had answered. Nick was a little less respectful of Gil these days, a little more confident in himself. But as Nick had said it, he knew that he meant more than just the warrant. There were some pretty important places in his life where Gil had delayed gratification. Did Nick want to be single, in his 50's with no one to share his life with? The answer was no.

That thought had been with him, on and off, since that day standing in the shed with Warrick. When he had said that, Warrick had given him a look. He knew him too well. Though they had continued to talk about warrants, once they were headed back to the lab in Warrick's ride, he had questioned Nick.

"So, if you're not into delayed gratification, why haven't you made any moves?" he had asked, smirking at Nick in the passenger's seat.

"What do you mean? Move on who?" Nick had said, looking genuinely confused.

"OK, if that's how you want to play it," Warrick answered, giving him a disappointed sigh. "But there's no time like the present."

"What, you're married now, so you're trying to live vicariously through me?" Nick countered, making Warrick scowl. Nick laughed at his friend, and they went on to other topics, but the thought stayed with him.

Why hadn't he made his move? What was keeping him from it? If the new Nick wasn't into delayed gratification, then hop to it.

"Today," Nick said to himself in the mirror and smiled. It was like his old smile, but different in some indiscernible way. Anyone else would have said that it just didn't feel quite the same; there was a subtle, dangerous quality to it. A cavalier attitude covered the fact the smile had been brushed with death in too many ways. Nick didn't consciously see the difference, but he felt the change in himself. He brushed his new, shaggier hair over to the side and wondered if he should get a trim. He would decide later. Maybe, like Samson, Nick's new attitude, his new strength, lay in the longer hair.

"Let's just hope I don't meet Delilah," he said to his reflection and smiled again.

He drove into work feeling excited. Making the decision to make a move, to ask a question, made him feel good. There was no apprehension or anxiety. He bounced into the lab, shooting the receptionist a smile that had gotten many a sorority girl giggly in his college days.

He joked with Warrick in the locker room and together they headed into the break room where Greg was chatting up Sara. He gave them both a grin. He was still smiling when Gris handed out assignments.

"Nick, Sara and Greg, I want you on a double homicide. Lucky Strike Motel - way off the strip. Nick, you take point," Gil had said, doing a slight double take at Nick's face. He wasn't smiling now, but there was something about the way his lips were braced that looked like Nick was holding a smile inside.

"I'll drive," Sara said.

"Shotgun," Greg said, and gave Nick a haughty look. Nick looked at him in surprise. "Sorry, Nick, but she makes me carsick when I sit in the backseat," he offered. Nick shrugged it off.

All he was thinking of was how he was going to make his move when there was a third wheel.

* * *

Evenings like this made Nick glad that the crew was back together. He had missed working with Sara so much when they were split, but what surprised him was how much he enjoyed working with Greg. He enjoyed sitting in the back seat of the Denali, he arms and legs stretched out, listening to Greg and Sara's back and forth banter. He didn't remember ever hearing Sara laugh so much. Still, it wasn't like Sara was laughing like an idiot, but Greg's stream of consciousness verbiage would be punctuated here and there by Sara's giggle, or by a comment like, "Greg, please" which would sound like she was offended, but then Nick would look at her face and she would be smiling from ear to ear. Greg, Nick realized, had been very good for Sara. He had a brief pang of jealousy. What if there were more to this than met the eye? Sara and Greg had been together a lot, and sometimes that led to something more. It wouldn't be the first or last time that co-workers became lovers. 

But this new Nick blew the jealousy off. He would never steal a lover from one of his friends, but if they were being covert, he couldn't be expected to know. And if he were rebuffed, then he would deal with it, and go on. He had proved to himself one thing, at least – he was a survivor. And no broken heart was going to do him in if being buried alive couldn't.

He was sitting in the middle of the Denali's bench seat, and every time he looked up, he could see Sara's face. He looked up at her, caught her eye and gave her a wink and a big smile. She smiled back and gave him a look that was hard to read before returning her eyes to the road. Greg continued his unabated talk, but Nick knew that Sara was thinking something similar. This was good, the three of them together. If Warrick were with them, it could have been even better, but with the task Nick had set himself, he really didn't need War's smirking, know-it-all presence.

They arrived at the Lucky Strike Motel, and Nick couldn't think of a worse dive. Not everybody in Vegas struck it rich, and though the Strip could be glamorous, the underside of Vegas was more like this little no-tell motel. A place where you could get pimped, get high and get by with no one to see or tell who you were.

And a good place to kill two people with no one to know better.

"This is where I would choose to leave two bodies. Whatcha bet we have no valid ID on the person who last rented the room?" Greg volunteered, echoing Nick's thoughts.

"You're probably right Greggo. That's why we have to follow the evidence," Nick said, throwing heavy emphasis on the last part. Sara gave him a withering look, and Greg snickered.

"Thanks, Gil," Sara said caustically, but her eyes were gentle. Nick smiled.

"Well, I am point on this, so I have to keep the young pup in line," Nick said, giving Greg a friendly nudge on the shoulder.

"You're way late on that," Greg said as the trio walked up to the taped off motel room. "Sara's always on top of that."

"I'm on top of a lot of things," Sara said quietly, looking archly at her companions. By this time they had come to the crime scene, and neither man could say anything in return because of the deputy at the door. Greg leaned in and whispered to Nick.

"Close your mouth, man. You'll let flies in like that, Papa Olaf always said."

"Did Papa Olaf ever get a girls to say things like that," Nick replied.

"Papa did a lot of things," Greg said, nodding his head up and down. Nick gave him a bemused look. They stepped under the crime scene tape to see Det. Curtis inside.

"Been waiting on you guys for a while," Sofia was saying, accusingly, to Sara, who was already inside.

"But I am so worth the wait," Nick offered as he came in the door. Sofia lightened up upon seeing Nick and Greg. She even smirked a little at Nick's comment.  
"Nick. Greg," she said as a greeting. But she and Sara weren't standing at an impasse for now, so Nick figured his ice breaker had worked. After Sofia gave them the details and walked out, Sara gave Nick a look.  
"Takes a lot of guts, flirting over a DB," she said. "Two DB's, point of fact. A guy I once knew told me that." Nick smiled, remembering the night he and Sara had met Hank the Skank, as Nick thought of him.

"Yeah, so I guess I've got a double load," Nick said, puffing up his chest. Sara twisted her lips. He knew that it meant she was trying not to smile.

"Um, are we going to start processing the scene?" Greg asked, a little taken aback by Sara and Nick's interactions. Nick wondered if he was jealous. And who he might be jealous of.

"Oh, Greggo, you're not the only one that has ridden shotgun to Sara's driving," Nick said. "But, since you mentioned it, process away. You take the perimeter, and Sara and I will process inside."

As Greg walked out the door, Nick stopped him.

"Make sure the deputy is within eyesight at all times, Greg. When it gets to the point you are out of his line of sight, you come get me or Sara," Nick warned, his voice now deadly serious. Greg frowned a little.

"Of course, Nick."

Nick watched Greg go out the door and wondered if he had sounded as paranoid as he felt just then.

"If you want to go with him, I can start by myself. Or vice versa," Sara said. Nick turned to see her looking at him with concern. It was a look he had gotten from her a lot, though with Sara, it was always a nice type of concern. It wasn't pandering or condescending, and she always said it in a tone of voice that made him feel as if he were having the most normal reactions in the world. Which is what his counselor had told him, but Sara could do more with one look than the counselor seemed to be able to do with a host of sessions.

"It'll be quicker if two process inside," he said. She nodded her head in quick assent and they began to work, Nick fighting the urge to check on Greg's process.

Nick and Sara had always had an easy kind of rhythm when they worked. Nick was grateful that the work was keeping his mind occupied. Instead of wanting to run check on Greg every couple of minutes, it was every 10 minutes. Finally, after about an hour of processing, Sara stood up straight and stretched.

"Go check on him," she said in a tone that was on the edge of being exasperated.

"Am I that easy to read?" Nick asked.

"Yes," was Sara's resounding answer. "Actually, I would like to check on him too." She gave Nick a smile and they moved towards the motel room door.

"Rock, paper, scissors on who gets to help G?" Nick asked. Sara shook her head at his suggestion, but held her hand and fist out in preparation.

Nick came up with paper. Sara was waggling her fingers in a downward motion.

"Water," she said, smiling mischievously. "It erodes rock, rusts scissors, and dissolves paper. I win."

"That's not an option," Nick protested, but Sara just gave him a backwards glance and grin as she walked out into the night air to help Greg. "You cheat!" Nick said under his breath, but he smiled at how his friend could surprise him after all these years.

The end of shift saw the trio still working at the crime scene, thought they were close to the end. They had taken only one break, and Nick could feel the fatigue weighing down on him. The three were riding back to the lab to log in evidence and finish their paperwork. The mood was more somber than at the beginning of shift; Greg's logorrhea had subsided and now the younger man was more subdued, though his and Sara's conversation was light hearted and still punctuated by Sara's smooth giggles. Nick found himself smiling, and he was thankful for that.

The scene was brutal, and he knew that posting the body tomorrow would be grueling as well.

"Let's get a drink, after paperwork is finished," he suggested as they pulled into the parking lot. Nick could see Cath and Warrick walking together across the asphalt. He sometimes wondered how Warrick could reconcile his flirtatious nature with Catherine to his marriage to Tina. Nick pushed that thought aside. Whether Warrick flirted or not was really not his business, and furthermore, it was pulling his focus away from the task at hand: drinks with Sara and Greg.

"I could go for that, as long as we get something really good to eat, too," Greg said. They both turned to Sara expectantly.

"I guess. But you will both have to help with the paperwork," she warned. Then she smiled, and Nick saw the smile reflected in Greg's face. Once again, he wondered what might have been going on with the two.

Nick was having a good time. The restaurant was small, and more of a bar and grill than anything. Given it was Vegas, people all around were eating anything from pancakes to rib eyes.

Sara had picked it and it seemed a little like her - the interior was warm and eclectic, but the outside had belied the atmosphere inside. And of course, they seemed to have more vegetarian choices than normal.

Nick loved that the place had a jukebox instead of canned music. Greg had worn himself out by making a play list that would end up costing him ten bucks to cover. Whenhe went to make his selections, Nick saw his chance to pump Sara for information.

"So, Sara, how are things these days?" he asked. Sara gave a little shrug of her shoulders.

"Good, I guess." She took a pull of her beer, but she was looking questioningly at Nick. It wasn't like they hadn't been working together this year.

"You seeing anybody?" he said, trying for casual. He thought he pulled it off, but Sara was smiling at him.

"Maybe," she said, with a wide smile that said she was.

"Serious, or casual?"

"Casual. We're just having fun," Sara said. "You?"

"Nah," Nick said, trying to play it cool. "What about Greg? Is he seeing anyone?" Sara gave Nick an inquisitive look. Nick tried to look as innocent as possible, but Sara knew him very well.

"He hasn't mentioned anyone particular," she said. "You know, with the new job, he hasn't had time to hit the clubs like he used to. It's put a crimp in his love life." She stopped and took a drink of her beer. She gave Nick an appraising look. "He's grown up a lot in the last year. I think the clubs don't hold his attention like they once did." They shared a smile. "Why now?" she asked. "After all these years?"

"I've quit hiding from myself. I've discovered that I'm stronger than what anyone else thinks," Nick said. "I'm a little different these days. I'm tired of playing it safe. Nothing ventured, nothing gained," he finished.

At that moment, Greg's be bopping form came back into Nick's line of sight. He gave Sara another smile, then picked up his beer.

"What's going on here? You two look like you're up to something," Greg asked suspiciously, his song momentarily forgotten. Nick chuckled. "Well, whatever it was, it's over now, because Sara is going to dance with me," the younger man declared. Sara smiled and let Greg lead her out to a small dance floor. Nick watched with a wistful smile.

Before long, it was time to settle up tabs. They still had to work tomorrow. He couldn't separate Sara and Greg as they were leaving, even though Sara "forgot" her jacket in the restaurant. Instead of standing outside with Nick, Greg ran back into the restaurant and retrieved the jacket for Sara. She and Nick stood together.

"Sorry, Nicky. I tried," she said.

"I know. Thanks," he replied. He was surprised as how anxious he was to talk to Greg alone. Now that he had made his decision, he wanted to know the outcome. Greg came back out of the building with Sara's jacket and a big smile on his face. Nick loved that smile, and realized that it had been a while since he had really seen it. They walked Sara to her vehicle together, then finally shared a moment alone.

"So, G, we should get together and go do something on a day off sometime," Nick stuttered. He had never been this self conscious with girls. Where had his smooth confidence gone?

"Yeah, man," Greg answered, distracted by using his key fob to unlock his car. "I've got no plans day after tomorrow. Are you off then?" Nick wasn't, but he would see if he could take vacation or get someone else to switch with him.

"I think so. You want to catch a baseball game?" Nick asked. Then he thought the better of it. G wasn't really a baseball sort of guy. "Or we could go do something else. Have you ever gone bird watching?" Nick wished he had stuck with the baseball. Bird watching? He could kick his own ass. Greg looked at him in surprise. "Or, you know, something else," Nick said, faltering towards the end. Why was this being so hard? Where had all his confidence gone?

"Actually, I would like to go bird watching. What do I need to wear? Do I need binoculars? What about a picnic?" Greg was saying each question in rapid fire style. Nick could tell the wheels in his head were spinning overtime.

"G, man, calm down. Jeans and a t-shirt and a jacket are fine. We won't go anywhere too rough, and yes, packing a snack or lunch would be a good idea," Nick said, trying to remember if he had answered all of Greg's questions at one time.

"Cool. So where do we meet? What time?" Greg asked, his face a light. Nick wasn't sure whether to be please the man was excited about bird watching, or apprehensive that he would be bored to tears once it was over.

"We can discuss everything tomorrow," Nick said. Nick patted Greg on the shoulder. "See you tomorrow Greggo," he said. He wondered if he had left his hand on Greg's shoulder too long, because Greg seemed to look at him a little differently.

"Sure, Nick. Drive safe," he said.

"You too Greg," echoed Nick, wishing to say so much more. This was a start. Eventually, maybe, he would have the guts and the opportunity. Maybe the day after tomorrow.

Maybe.

* * *

A/N: I am trying to expand my creative horizons by writing a GN fic, so let me know how I do. Can I keep the characters real? 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Spoilers: Pirates of the Third Reich, Grave Danger, Up in Smoke

A/N: My attempt at Slash. Greg and Nick go bird watching, sort of. Angsty!

* * *

Nick couldn't decide what to wear. This wasn't a date, but if it were to lead to a date, then he didn't want Greg looking askew at his clothes. Who knew what Greg thought was good taste, though? Last time he looked, Nick didn't have any Sex Pistols t-shirts in his closet. He didn't have any t-shirts with graphics unless it said something about "Aggies" or "Texas". He finally settled on a dark green shirt and jeans. He pulled on a "Desert Relay" sweat shirt and quit looking in the mirror. This wasn't who he was – he was not all about appearances. And if he knew Greg like he thought he did, he had nothing to worry about. His wardrobe wouldn't decide whether Greg decided to go out or not.

He wondered where all his confidance had gone. What happened to the man who was anxious to get Greg alone the other morning so that he could ask him out? Nick took a moment to gather his anxieties and stuff them away. Jitters would do him no good. Pick up Greg, have a picnic and ask him on a real date. How hard could it be?

Damn hard, Nick found out.

Greg was ready and waiting, much to Nick's surprise. He had halfway expected the guy to be sipping Blue Hawaiian in his pj's, but Greg bounded out of his door before Nick could fully pull into the driveway. By Nick's estimation, Greg acted as if he had quaffed a gallon of coffee already.

The younger man had a backpack and the biggest thermos of coffee Nick thought he had ever seen. And he was talking at full Greg-speed before he even opened the door. It made Nick smile.

"So, I packed a picnic, and I wasn't sure what you might have packed, so I just went ahead and took care of both of us, and of course, I have coffee and two travel cups so that we can both have some on the way. I wasn't exactly sure how cool it would be, so I wore a couple of layers and I have sunscreen, do you need some? I haven't been out in the sun for a while …"

"G, slow down man," Nick interrupted, scared that Greg wasn't going to take a breath any time soon. "This is our day off. It's supposed to be relaxing. You're going to use up all the oxygen in the truck at that rate." Nick smiled at Greg to show that he was teasing him, and Greg smiled back in an embarrassed way that made Nick's stomach flutter slightly. It was a nice moment, and Nick was suddenly very sure that the day was going to be good.

"Here's my copy of the Audubon Society's Pocket field guide for the Western US," Nick said, handing the well thumbed book to Greg. "You might want to browse through it to get an idea of the types of birds we might be seeing."

"Jeez. I didn't realize how many birds were around Nevada," Greg said, paging through the guide. "Where are we going, anyway? I figured we would have to drive for a while."

"Actually, there a place called Mt. Charleston about an hour from here, and it's a good spot for seeing higher elevation birds. It'll be a light hike," Nick said.

"Cool," was Greg's answer.

"A light hike?" Greg was complaining later. His caffeine high seemed to have dissipated somewhat, leaving the man lacking in energy. Nick was ready to cut him some slack, seeing as how it was now daylight, and this was prime sleeping time for both of them.

"C'mon G," Nick coached. "It's not too much farther now. Maybe you need to start coming to the gym with me." He was looking at the sky, which had turned ominously dark. Great, one day off, which he had to switch with Warrick, and it was going to rain on his parade. And Warrick had been so smug about it too.

"Heard you and Greg are going bird watching," Warrick had asked in a low voice in the locker room.

"So?" had been Nick's very mature reply.

"So? I'm just glad you finally took my advice," Warrick challenged.

"Whatever, man. It's just bird watching," Nick had volleyed.

"Yeah, and Greg seems just like the type to go bird watching on his day off. That in itself should tell you that you have a chance," Warrick had said, the smug look now concreted on his face. Nick brushed him off at the time, but now he hoped Warrick was right.

"Nick, does it feel like it's getting cooler to you?" G was asking in a concerned voice. Nick cursed silently under his breath.

"G, man, I think we're going to have to head back down the mountain. We're going to get caught in a storm. Damn weather channel waswrong about today," Nick was saying. Greg's face was crestfallen.

"But we didn't even get to unpack the picnic," he said, in the unwhiniest voice he could manage, which was still pretty whiney.

"There's some shelters near the parking lot. We'll unpack there," Nick promised. He put his arms around Greg's shoulders and turned him back towards the trail.

They didn't make it back to the trail head before the flood gates let loose. A torrent of surprisingly cold rain fell on them. They were soaked to the skin when they arrived at Nick's ride.

"Get in the back of the truck – I've got some blankets in there," Nick said. They huddled in the truck, stripped to there skivvies, Greg wrapped in a soft fleece and Nick in the itchiest wool emergency blanket he could imagine. On the plus side, Greg's thermos of coffee was still full and hot, and they picnicked anyway.

Greg's conversation was breezy and the food really good. Nick and Greg sat side by side, sharing the Thermos, neither wanting to wrestle their way up to the front of the truck for the travel mugs Greg had brought.

"Now how are we going to get back to Vegas – riding in our underwear?" Greg said and they laughed, Nick thinking that Greg looked like a wet labrat. His hair was plastered down to his head in spots and sticking straight up in others. He was adorable.

"I don't know. I don't think I could live that down with Warrick if he ever found out," Nick replied, though the thought of he and Greg riding back to Vegas wrapped in blankets was pretty funny.

"He gave me a pretty hard time about this outing," Greg said. "He kept teasing me about our 'date'. Sara finally told him off for me. She's good like that."

"Yeah," Nick answered, noncommittally. He looked over at Greg and looked at his profile for a minute, wondering at the churning in his gut. "G, would that be so bad? A date, with me?" he asked softly. Greg's head popped up and he turned to look at Nick with soft, startled brown eyes. Nick decided to give up caution and leaned into Greg, kissing him lightly on the lips. He leaned back and looked at Greg's lips, afraid to look at his eyes. His lips had been cold, but soft, and coffee flavored. Nick leaned in and kissed him again, gently sliding his tongue inside the rim of Greg's mouth. His mouth was intensely warm compared to the clammy, wet soaked skin outside and vibrantly alive with coffee flavor. He was pleasantly surprised when Greg returned his kiss, tentatively at first. They then found themselves in a warm, although blanket muffled embrace.

Greg was the first to pull away.

"But you're not gay," he said, accusingly.

"I think I just proved that isn't an issue," Nick said. Now that he had given in, now that he had taken the first step, he was dizzingly alive.

"But it is an issue," Greg said. Nick furrowed his brow at his friend's distress.

"G, wait a minute…" Nick began, only to be interrupted by a bang on the back of his Denali. He opened the back of the truck up, surprised that the rain was no longer. He was faced with a curious park ranger.

"I just wanted to make sure you guys were all right," the ranger said. He looked askance at the two men wrapped in blankets, or at least Nick thought he did. "The trails are going to be closed until tomorrow. We don't allow hikers when the mud is up like it will be after that rain."

"Sure," Nick said, feeling the rangers eyes on him. He knew his face, neck and ears were probably red with embarrassment. He didn't know why – it wasn't like this guy knew what he and Greg had been doing. "We were just trying to dry off a little and eat our lunch before heading out," he replied, feeling like a liar. The ranger nodded to him and Nick shut the door back. Greg was pulling his wet shirt on and wrapping the fleece around him as well as he could.

"We should probably leave," he said, his voice a little cool.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked. Everything was going astray.

"You're beet red, Nick. You're so embarrassed by what we were doing that you look like you're going to have a stroke! And all we did was kiss!"

"I would be this way whether it was you or a girl or whatever," Nick exclaimed. "Greg, just listen …"

"I'm ready to go."

They rode down the road in silence for a full twenty minutes. Nick wasn't sure that Greg had ever been quiet so long.

"Greg, I want you to go out with me," he finally said. Greg let out a noisy sigh.

"I don't date guys in the closet, Nick. I'm past that stage in my life, and I don't want to go back. You are Nick Stokes, ladies' man. Women sigh when you just pass by." Greg was upset enough that he refrained from his usual "poet and didn't know it" comment at his rhyme.

"But I'm not that man any more," Nick protested. "I'm different, since the whole… well, I'm different now, and I've realized what and who I want. And it's you, it's always been you," Nick said. Greg eyes softened and started to tear up. But then his look hardened.

"So then, your parents know you're gay. Your family knows. Everybody is going to know we're dating and you won't be embarrassed," Greg shot at him.

"What does it matter what my parents think?" Nick said. What he meant was that he was past worrying about everyone else. That wasn't how Greg took it.

"That's what I mean! Have you ever even had a boyfriend?"

"Well, no, I mean, there were a couple of times in college …some threesomes," Nick stuttered. He didn't really want to share the details, and he found himself stammering to Greg. "Greg, I want you. It doesn't matter what was before."

"It's not enough, Nick. I mean, I don't want to be your first gay relationship, the one that get's dumped because it was an initiation thing, you know. I've been there before. If you can't tell me that you could introduce me to your folks as your boyfriend, then I have to say no."

"I don't know," Nick said, truthfully. "This is all pretty new to me."

"Exactly," Greg said quietly. They rode in silence the rest of the way. Nick wassure Greg had cried some silent tears, but he couldn't look for fear that he would as well.

He dropped Greg off at this house, helping him unload his backpack and clothes without speaking. He walked up to the door behind him, wishing he could think of what to say to make this right. Greg unlocked his door and stepped inside, setting his stuff down on a table. He turned around and stood in the doorway, arms out to accept the wet clothes Nick was holding.

"G," Nick said, wanting desperately to step inside and hash this out. "G, you can't tell me that kiss didn't mean anything."

"No. I can't." Greg admitted, his brown eyes shiny. "But I can't be hurt by someone like I have been before, especially if that someone is you."

"But, Greg …" Nick said. Greg cut him off.

"I'll see you at work, Nick. And we'll forget this, OK. You don't have to worry about me telling anyone," Greg said and shut the door.

Nick wanted to tell him that he wasn't worried about it, that he didn't care, but instead he walked to his Denali and drove home to a hot shower, wondering how things went so wrong, and remembering the flavor of Greg.

* * *

A/N: Oh, our star-crossed duo. How could this possibly end? Let me know how I'm doing in a review. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own them

Spoilers: Up in Smoke (this chapter)

A/N: the last chapter in my slash experiment. Please review and let me know how I did.

* * *

Nick had made it through two weeks of a lot of hell. But he had made it through, and it was getting better, bit by bit. He had decided after the disastrous outing with Greg that he would try to greet the man with his same easy going demeanor and professionalism. He had partially succeeded, but it was awkward and stilted, and he always got the feeling that Greg was on the verge of saying something more. Nick would leave before Greg could say anything. 

Greg was acting more subdued than normal around Nick, but if anyone noticed the tension that was being danced around, they didn't say it. Nick had caught Sara giving him a look that could only be described as analytical, like she was trying to figure out some new specimen.

"What?" he had said, more curtly than he intended.

"Nothing," she replied. "Boy, you got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," she hissed as she walked away.

"Try this decade," he said, under his breath.

Warrick had tried to get details out of Nick, but all Nick had told him was that the bird watching was cut short by a storm, and that he and Greg hadn't made any further plans.

"So you blew it," Warrick said, disappointed. "You blew it!"

"What makes you think I blew it?" Nick said caustically. "You know, there were two of us there, maybe Greg blew it. Maybe there was nothing to blow," he said vehemently, but in a low voice. Catherine gave the two a look from the other end of the break room. Nick ran a hand through his longer hair; now would be a good time to cut it. It obviously hadn't proved to be his strength. "Just drop it, War," he said and stomped out.

It all left Nick wondering where to go next. He was strong and smart, and things would present themselves. Right? So when he was working on the case that they were calling "the Smokee" and Greg waltzed into the video lab of his own accord, Nick acted as nonchalant as possible. He had made out a sunburst on the card, which now appeared to be some kind of ID card.

"Hey, sunburst, that's a gym." Greg was more like his usual self. Nick still couldn't get used to him in a blazer and with the longer, non-spiked hair. But then again, his hair wasn't what it used to be.

"How would you know?" he asked.

"I go."

"You been hitting the weights Greggo?" Nick asked, trying for levity, though it came out wooden.

"Muy Thai. Competitive kickboxing. You've got to balance the weights with aerobics," he said, smiling. Nick was trying for casual, but Greg's smile put him off balance. He returned his eyes to the screen.

"Yeah, OK," he said, lamely. Anyone who had lifted weights and trained knew that. Then it dawned on Nick that Greg was trying to make conversation about something he knew Nick would know about – working out.

Nick finally got the face to come through on the ID. Archie couldn't have done better. He grinned to himself and looked up at Greg. The look he saw there was unmistakable: longing. But what for? Nick's friendship, which was in peril, or more? Nick pushed the thought aside.

"I've got to see Catherine," Nick said lamely. Greg' disappointment showed on his face briefly.

"Sure," he said. He walked with Nick to the end of the hall and turned the opposite way.

"Greg," Nick called. The other man turned with an expectant look. "Maybe you can tell me more about it later," Nick said. Greg gave him a big smile and nodded.

Nick felt like he had taken a step towards some kind of recovery.

* * *

"He feels bad," Sara said. They were sitting at the deli, just the two of them, waiting on the lunch order for the lab. Nick looked at her blankly. Being that Sara was amovie geek, they had been discussing the Oscar's, and now she blurted this out. Nick wasn't sure if it had to do with Joaquin Phoenix or not. 

"Joaquin or Joaquin as Johnny Cash?" Nick said, confusion clearly etched on his face.

"Greg. He feels bad," she clarified. Nick grimaced.

"He told you that? What else did he tell you?"

"It's not that he told me anything. He just said that he blew a chance at something. He said he let fear get the best of him. I just assumed, with the way you two were acting …" she trailed off, looking at him to fill in the gaps.

"I don't really want to talk about this," Nick said stubbornly. "He made himself clear. That was that, and we're friends."

"Friends who don't talk and barely look at each other," she said sarcastically. "You know, all of my best friends are like that." Nick wanted to make a comment about a man who only emoted with bugs, but wisely held his tongue. Friends shouldn't use those things as ammunition. "All I'm trying to tell you is that the door may not be closed completely. He regrets his actions. It's written on his face every time he looks at you." Sara had an earnest look to her, and Nick was glad that she was his friend, and Greg's.

"I'll take it under advisement," he acquiesced. She smiled.

When they returned to the lab, everyone sat in the break room together. Or what Nick thought of as everyone: Sara, Warrick, Greg and himself. Even Archie and Bobby joined them. It was rare that they could eat together. That made it nicer. The conversations flowed, and Nick caught pieces here and there.

"So, Hodges and the new DNA tech went to breakfast together yesterday after shift," Archie was telling Sara. They shared a look of conspiracy. Gossip mongers.

"And then, she did the cutest thing. She raised her little hands and tried to clap them together. You are going to love it when you and Tina have kids," Bobby was saying to Warrick, beaming over the tales of a small toddler. Warrick looked alarmed at the prospect. Nick smiled and looked over to catch Greg looking at him, again. Nick took a chance and smiled.

Greg smiled back.

"Tell me about kickboxing," Nick said to him. Greg launched into a description so animated that all other conversation ceased. It ended with Greg's chair knocked over and his drink spilled on the floor. But everyone was laughing, including Greg. Nick felt a little hope creep in, but he shut it down.

Now it was Greg's move, he thought to himself.

* * *

Nick had barely made it home and into his knit pants and t-shirt before his doorbell was ringing. It had been a rough case for Nick. The sight of that charred corpse in the chimney had given him nightmares, though he had played it off to Sara at the scene. And then, when he had seen the pictures of that poor girl's body, bricked up in the chimney while still alive and slowly bleeding to death, he had gone to the locker room and sat on the bench for a few moments. The thought that it could have been him, though in a different situation, plagued him. He felt for the girl's dad. He wondered how his own parents would have taken it. 

He walked to the door and looked out the peep hole to see Greg. He opened the door in surprise.

"Greggo," he said, perplexed but happy. "What's going on man?"

"I brought pizza, and beer," Greg said, holding a four pack of Grolsch in one hand and two pizza boxes in the other. "I thought you might use some company," he finished.

"Come in," Nick said quickly. "I was going to microwave a meal, but this sounds better." Greg followed him in and set the pizza boxes down on the counter. Nick was already getting plates, albeit paper one, out of his cabinets.

"I thought this case might have gotten to you," Greg said, tentatively. "You know, the burn cases, they always get to me," he said.

"Perceptive," admitted Nick. "I wasn't sure how I was going to sleep tonight. Well, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to sleep, not well anyway." It was more candor than Nick had allowed himself to any of his friends. He wasn't sure why he was letting his guard down, other than it was Greg, with pizza, and he wanted to be open.

They stood awkwardly for a moment, each of them drinking out of the funky bottles with the rubber stoppers. Nick wasn't a big fan of Grolsch, but it was one of Greg's favorites. He was never one to turn down free beer. That lesson, at least, had stayed with him from college. Plus, Grolsch bottles were 16 ounces, not the usual 12.

"I want a redo," Greg said, breaking the silence. Nick looked at him without expression.

"A what?"

"A redo," Greg repeated. "I was scared and I thought it was too good to be true, that you were asking me out, and then, the kiss, and I wasn't sure if I could handle more heartbreak, because the last guy went back to an old _girl_friend." In typical Greg fashion, the words came out in a hurried rush. "I want another chance."

"Why? Why change your mind?" Nick asked. The beer burned his throat and churned in his empty stomach.

"I have crushed on you forever, but I didn't think you were gay. I didn't want to be an experiment, and I didn't want you to come in and make dreams come true and then leave it all to crash and burn."

"Greg," Nick said and closed the distance between them. He put his hand on the younger man's face. "I can't promise that we'll work out. I can't promise that either one of us won't break the other's heart. But I can promise that right now, you are the one I want. I fought the idea for a while, but when I was in that box, things became clearer than they were. I'm just sorry that I didn't act on it sooner."

"I'm sorry that I freaked out the other day," Greg said. They shared a smile, now a little shy. Nick suggested they take the supper into his living room. They sat side by side, drinking and eating and talking. Or Greg talked and Nick listened and laughed. Nick hoped it would be the first of many meals together.

He had changed. He knew that – he wasn't hiding from who he was any longer. Looking at Greg's animated face, with the little bit of pizza sauce on the side, he wished it hadn't taken the events that it did to make him realize that hiding wasn't a good thing. He could have been doing this a long time ago. He reached up and wiped the sauce off with a paper towel. He suddenly had the urge to ask Greg to move in, so that this could be everyday. He figured that he needed to take it slower than that, at least.

"So what kind of pizza are we ordering tomorrow morning?" he said, and smiled. Greg smiled back.

"Actually, I already made plans for us to meet Sara for breakfast," Greg said. Nick looked at him in surprise.

"That was confidant," he said, a little ticked, but at the same time very happy that they were making plans, together.

"Well, I just told her that I might have someone with me. I didn't say it would be you."

Nick thought a moment. He wanted to say that Greg could always say it would be him, but it wasn't wise to make promises like that when you're on your first almost-date.

He figured he could wait until the weekend, at least.

* * *

A/N: So this one's done. Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know in an review! 


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